Passing On
by MasterFirebender84
Summary: She's lived a long life and is ready for the next step...ready to be reunited with her love after 16 long years apart. But how will she react to the news of the identity of the new Avatar? Oneshot fanfic.


I'm stuck again on Chapter Ten of Book 4, and until I think of something to write down I decided to write this little tid-bit of a story. I had the idea for this oneshot but I finally decided to write it down and publish it. Get my name up on the boards out there, show the Fan Fiction world I'm serious about this stuff. I love writing Fan Fiction for Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I want to share that love with all of you adoring fans. As is the status quo, please read and review! ¡Hasta luego y Dios se vendega, mis amigos! (For those of you who don't speak Spanish, that's 'See you later and God bless you all, my friends!')

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Passing On**

_70 years after the end of The War_

An elderly woman lay peacefully on her deathbed, a woolen blanket covering her up to her chest. Her arms lay at her sides, either unwilling or unable to move at their master's command. She wore a simple robe that was a deep shade of blue. Her skin was a deep tan color, and her hair was as grey as the ashes of a dead fire. This woman sported a hairstyle from her home: braided hair loops that hung down her face and connected to a bun on the back of her head. Despite her age, her wrinkles did not distort her beauty. On her neck was a betrothal necklace, still as pristine as the day her own mother gave it to her. The symbol of Waterbending was engraved on the polished blue stone, symbolizing her own connection with the element. In her youth, she had been graceful and flowing yet full of power…much like the water she bended. The elegance of her power had diminished over the decades, slowly succumbing to the continuous onslaught of time. She could still feel the water around her, but she had not the strength to control it. She knew her time was coming, but she was not afraid of death.

The candle on her bed stand burned softly, illuminating the room with its eerie glow. It was if the shadow of death were slowly passing over the room, diminishing any light present as its icy claw prepared to snatch its victim away from this world. The door on the far side of bedroom opened, allowing more light to peek its way in. A figure slipped in through the ajar door, which then quietly closed the door behind them. The dark figure made its way to the side of the bed, and the light slowly revealed the newcomer. The figure was a man in his 60th year of life, and his features showed his age. He had a tired look in his gray eyes, for he knew this day would finally come. He wore the robes of an Air Nomad, which were orange and yellow. His head was bald, but this was not the result of his age. On his head was the tattoo of a blue arrow, whose tip came to rest on his forehead. It continued down his back, and the same arrows came to rest on his hands. It was the same with his feet, but they were not made visible because of his shoes. He looked upon the dying woman with pity and love in his eyes. He had known her all his life, and she had made him the way he was today. "Mother?" he whispered quietly to rouse her from her sleep.

The woman stirred, and she tiredly opened her weary eyes. Her eyes were as blue as the vast ocean, full of mystery yet comfort. She had not heard what this new voice had said, but she could still feel the man's presence. As she looked upon the man standing over her bed, she thought that she had already passed into the Spirit World. She had only seen one other man who looked like this, the Avatar who had died 16 years prior. "…Aang?" she asked weakly in a cracked voice. "Is that you, my love? It's me…Katara." She slowly raised her right hand up to touch the man's face, as if to assure herself that what she was seeing was real. She had not gazed upon the face of her husband for many long years, all of which had seemed like unending torture since the day he died. She was amazed with herself that she had lasted a decade and a half without him by her side, but every day had felt as long as a lifetime.

The man sadly took Katara's hand, feeling how delicate her aged skin had become. Katara had become so fragile ever since Aang had died, as if a part of her died along with the Avatar. It was only until a few months ago that her health had started to rapidly fail, as if she were slowly losing the will to live. "No, Mom," replied the man, "I'm not Aang." As she feebly narrowed her ancient eyes to look upon the man better, she could see that the man spoke the truth. He did not have the same glow in his eyes that her husband had when he was alive. He saw the recognition in her eyes, and he said, "I'm Tenzin…your son." He saw a brief glimmer of life appear in her azure eyes as she looked at him with an affectionate smile.

"My dear son…" she cooed softly, and with her free hand she stroked his cheek lovingly. Tenzin smiled at the contact, glad to see his mother still have life in her. "My sweet little Tenzin…" she said tenderly, gazing upon the little piece of Aang she had left in this world. He was their only child, but that just made her love him all the more. He was so much like his father, full of happiness and love yet the same goofiness that she adored in Aang. But there was only one Aang in her world, and Tenzin could never be truly like his father. She loved both of her Airbenders with all of her heart, for they were the joy of her life. "How is your wife?" she asked with a sigh.

Tenzin chuckled and said, "She's as healthy as ever, and our children are happy with their spouses. Their little ones are all grown up and have gone off, married, and had children of their own." Katara chuckled softly at the mention of her great-grandchildren, but her merriment was cut short as she started violently coughing. It was a grating cough, as if something were caught in her lungs and throat. She took her caressing hand from Tenzin's cheek and covered her mouth as her coughing racked her body with vicious tremors. Tenzin knew he could do nothing to help her, for the doctor said that her terminal illness would take its worse toll on her near the end. As she came out her coughing fit, his concerned gray eyes bore down on her. She smiled sweetly at him, assuring him that she was alright. Still wary of another cough attack, Tenzin decided to reveal his true purpose for being there. "The identity of the new Water Tribe Avatar has been revealed," he said firmly. Katara perked up at this, for she had waited a long time for the news of Aang's reincarnation. "The new Avatar is a Waterbender named Korra. She's from the Southern Water Tribe," he continued. "She recently turned 16 a couple of days ago, when the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe had learned of her identity as the Avatar and announced it. The news is spreading all over the world like a wildfire." He paused so his mother could process this revelation.

"Avatar Korra…" mused Katara after a long pause, as if she were testing the weight of this new name. A thousand thoughts rushed through her weathered mind: How would this new Avatar hold up to the legacy of her predecessors? What hardships and struggles would she endure in her lifetime? What great deeds would she accomplish? Will her story be a happy one, or would it be full of tragedy? Would she fall in love and get married, and if so how many children would she have? But Katara knew that she would not see these questions answered in her lifetime. She sighed and said cheerily, "At least she's from my home. It's been such a long time since the last Water Tribe Avatar had lived on this earth, and now the Avatar Spirit has seen fit to reincarnate itself in this girl…Korra…was her name? But I'm sure she'll be a fine Avatar." She smiled and nodded in affirmation of her statement.

Tenzin returned her smile, but Katara could tell that her son was bearing a weight on his shoulder. It was as if there had been something on his mind for a long time, but he had been too hesitant to bring it up with her. But he knew that know was the time to ask, before it was too late. "Mom?" he asked timidly, which caught his mother's attention. "Are you…mad at Korra?" Katara was surprised at Tenzin's question, and she found herself quietly laughing.

"Mad?" she asked in disbelief. "My little Zinny…" she said, causing her son to slightly blush. 'Zinny' was Katara's nickname for her son, which she had come up with when he had first Airbended at the age of 2. His first Airbending feat was a sneeze that launched him thirty feet in the air and sent a panicking Aang racing up to catch him. The nickname stuck, and she always used it whenever she either wanted to embarrass him, praise him, or lovingly rebuked him. From the tone in her voice, he could tell that it was the latter. "Why on earth would I be mad at Korra? I hardly even know her." She chuckled softly, for her son could still think of the most nonsensical things to ask. It was at times like this that Tenzin reminded her a lot of Aang, and her heart ached with longing to be reunited with him.

"Well…" he began, "you know that for one Avatar to be born, the one before has to die." He paused, thinking of a way to make the situation less awkward. "So…in order for Korra to have been born, Dad had to die. I just thought you'd hate Korra for taking Aang away from you 16 years ago." He looked away shyly, silently rebuking himself for asking something so blatantly stupid. Katara was slightly taken aback by her son's statement. How could she possibly hate anyone who was the reincarnation of her Aang? She knew her son had always cared for her after her husband's death, for it was traumatic for the both of them.

"I don't hate Korra," replied Katara soothingly. "Maybe I was upset at the time that Aang died because he was gone and I knew that he would be reborn in the Water Tribe. But I could never hate Korra…after all, she is Aang in another body." She sighed and said sadly, "I'm the last of my age…I've seen all my friends and family die before me: my Mom, Kya…Gran Gran, Pakku, Bumi, Piandao, Jeong Jeong, Iroh…my Dad, Hakoda…Aang, Mai, Ty Lee, Suki, Toph, Zuko, Sokka…all of them have gone before me into the welcoming embrace of death." She looked at her son with determination and said, "I've lived a long life and I have no regrets…but my old bones are tired and worn from the passage of time. It's time for me to join Aang in the Spirit World, where we'll be together forever." She took her hand out of Tenzin's and unlatched her necklace, a gesture that surprised her son. She held it in her hands as she looked at the trinket, thinking about just how much this necklace meant to her. It reminded her of her mother…but it also reminded her of Aang, who had used this same necklace to propose to her all those years ago. It was her true last piece of Aang, but she knew her time with it had ended. She had to pass it on to the next generation. Placing the necklace in her son's hand, she closed his fingers around it, saying "When Korra comes to you to learn Airbending, give her this."

Tenzin was shocked at his mother's request. "I can't do that," he said in protest. "I know how much this necklace means to you, and I won't let you part with it." Katara sighed, knowing that convincing her son otherwise would not be an easy task.

"Tenzin," she said firmly in a tone that only a mother could have. It was the tone that asserted her authority over her child, made him pay attention to what she had to say. She softened her voice and said, "I want Korra to have this. This necklace is as much a part of her legacy as it was Aang's, and it would seem fitting for the wife of her predecessor to give the new Avatar the same betrothal necklace that brought Aang and I together. When you give it to her…tell her that I am proud that she has inherited the legacy of Avatar from Aang, and that I know she will make a fine Avatar."

Tenzin relaxed at his mother's reasoning, and he said proudly, "I will, Mom. I promise you that Korra will receive this necklace, and that I will make her a great Airbender…just like Dad was." Katara smiled at her son, always happy to see such confidence instill itself in her Tenzin.

"I know you will, my little Zinny," she replied softly, eliciting a small smile from her son. Feeling a sudden chill pass over her, she said, "It's time for me to go, Tenzin." Tears suddenly sprang into her son's eyes, and he nodded sadly. "I love you, Tenzin...and I will always be in your heart," said Katara calmly. A tear fell down Tenzin's face as his sorrow grew and an ache took hold of his heart. The elderly Waterbender looked up at the ceiling, and her thoughts drifted back to when she had first visited Aunt Wu. The fortune-teller had said that she would pass away quietly in her sleep…but Katara knew that fate had another plan in mind. She was ready for the next grand adventure; life after death. "I'm coming, Aang…" she said quietly, and she closed her eyes for the last time. Her breathing slowly declined until she had exhaled her last breath of air, and her old heart had stopped beating. Tenzin knew that she was gone, and he buried his face in the sheets that enveloped her lifeless body as he wept bitterly.

Unknown to Tenzin, he was being watched by beings from another realm. Standing in the same room as him were two ethereal spirits, invisible to mortal eyes. Katara was one of them, and she was holding hands with the other spirit. This spirit looked very much like Tenzin…and yet not like Tenzin. This spirit was Aang, and he watched as his son wept over the loss of his mother. He and Katara walked over to him and placed their hands on his shoulders. Tenzin shuddered slightly, as if a cold wind had passed over him. Aang and Katara departed with smiles on their faces, their touch lingering on Tenzin. The Airbender looked behind him, but no one was there. When he realized he was alone, he looked back to his deceased mother and smiled sadly. He was happy that his parents were finally reunited again, and he knew that they would be together in death for the rest of time.


End file.
